Broward County | Juvenile Defense
When a child is accused of an offense, families need clear answers. Miller & Jacobs helps young people understand the allegation, the next hearing, and what needs attention now. Start with where your child is and the papers you received.
Has your child been detained, cited, or asked for an interview? Call 954-465-8733 with the agency, case number, and next date. Our Pompano Beach office serves families facing juvenile allegations across Broward County.
A defense that sees more than an accusation
Understand the hearing and current restrictions
Know who is responsible for the defense
Family support from our Pompano Beach office
The allegation, present custody, and the next decision
Three Questions to Answer First
Start with the alleged offense, whether the child is in custody or under supervision, and the next notice. An arrest, school referral, or intake meeting does not tell the whole story. Ask your lawyer what each paper means in the case.
Read Florida’s Juvenile Detention LawEarly Decisions Matter
If a child is detained, Florida law provides for a prompt detention hearing, generally within 24 hours of custody. That hearing addresses detention and release questions, not the final outcome. Tell counsel immediately where the child is and what you have been told about the hearing.
Across Broward County
A family may receive calls from police, the Department of Juvenile Justice, a school, and the court about the same event. Write down who contacted you and the purpose of each request. Our Pompano Beach juvenile defense guide and Fort Lauderdale juvenile page provide related local starting points. For additional local context, see our Hollywood juvenile defense guide.
Organize the Information
Identify the allegation and what has happened since. Missing documents should not delay asking for help. List what you have, what you were told, and who may hold more information.
Keep citations, reports provided to you, property receipts, and the investigating agency’s name. Note when the child was taken into custody and who gave the family information about the location or next step.
Save the hearing notice and any detention or release order. Confirm attendance instructions from the actual notice. Do not assume that release from a facility cancels an upcoming court appearance.
Record the name and contact details of the assigned person. Keep intake, assessment, and supervision instructions. Ask counsel about the purpose of an appointment and how to address questions about the alleged conduct.
Keep suspension notices, disciplinary letters, and deadlines for a school response. A school decision and a delinquency case are different matters. Share both sets of papers so their timing and possible overlap can be considered.
Preserve original messages, videos, and photographs that are already lawfully available to you. Do not delete a conversation because part of it looks unfavorable. Context may matter as much as a selected screenshot.
Explain the child’s school schedule, transportation, and available supervision. Tell counsel privately about relevant learning or communication needs. Useful planning is specific to the young person, not based on a generic promise that home release will be granted.
Do not turn family group chats into a case investigation. Avoid circulating allegations, identifying other children publicly, or asking people to coordinate accounts. Tell the defense lawyer where evidence may exist and let counsel plan lawful follow-up.
Know Which Decision Is Being Made
Juvenile court uses terms that may be unfamiliar. Detention concerns where a child stays while the case moves forward. An adjudicatory hearing addresses whether the alleged delinquent act was proved. Disposition concerns the court’s response after the relevant findings or plea. Ask what is being decided at each appearance.
Read Florida’s Juvenile Record LawDetention or Release
Counsel can review the assessment, statutory criteria, and available supervision information. A parent’s willingness to bring a child home is important practical information, but it does not by itself decide the court’s release ruling.
The Allegation
Examine the conduct attributed to the child and the evidence supporting it. Identification, intent, ownership, timing, and context may be disputed. A school report or online post should be evaluated alongside the fuller record.
Possible Resolution
Ask about any diversion proposal, plea, supervision, services, or placement being considered. Clarify what must be completed and who decides whether it was completed. A first allegation is not a guarantee of a particular program.
Adult-Court Risk
Florida law permits some juvenile cases to proceed in adult court through specific legal routes. Age, the allegation, and other statutory factors matter. Counsel should examine that question early rather than assume every case involving a minor will remain in juvenile court.
Bring the Immediate Concern
You do not need to understand every court term before calling
Call 954-465-8733Tell us where your child is and the next appointment or hearing. Discuss the information needed for a focused consultation and representation.
Request a Free ConsultationA Local Place to Discuss the Case
1600 S. Federal Highway, Suite 1101
Pompano Beach, FL 33062
Look Beyond a Short Incident Summary
Our Broward County criminal-defense overview connects the firm’s practice areas. A juvenile defense also requires attention to the child’s age, understanding, and circumstances. The investigation should examine the accusation without treating a young person’s future as already decided.
Broward Criminal-Defense OverviewSequence of Events
List the times, places, and people involved. Separate what the child recalls from what someone else said. Mark unclear details honestly. Do not fill gaps just to make the account sound complete.
Digital Context
A forwarded clip or cropped screenshot may leave out who made it and what came before. Keep original files when possible. Explain who could use the account or device. Do not enter someone else's account without permission.
Interviews and Statements
Tell counsel about police, school, or other interviews, including who was present and any recording or written statement. A parent’s absence does not automatically settle whether a statement may be used. The actual circumstances need review.
Witness Accounts
List people who saw or heard the events. Note whether they wrote an account before or after discussing it with others. Do not approach another child to seek a changed statement. Give the facts to your lawyer.
Searches and Collected Items
Explain who searched the child, bag, vehicle, or device. Keep receipts and notices. The legal review depends on who acted and what happened, not just whether a parent agreed.
The Defense Decision
Ask how missing evidence, legal challenges, or proposed terms affect the next choice. No single discrepancy guarantees that the case will end.
Protect the Child’s Ability to Participate
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A young person should understand the next decision, not feel pushed through it by unfamiliar words and adult conversations.
Parents and caregivers can help organize documents, arrange transportation, and support compliance. The defense lawyer’s client is the young person. Ask how the child will communicate privately with counsel and how the family can help without replacing the child’s role in the case.
A Practical Plan for the Family
The plan should identify the next hearing, needed evidence, current conditions, and family responsibilities. Raise practical obstacles before a requirement is missed.
01
Verify the child’s location, current release status, and hearing instructions. Keep contact details for the lawyer and assigned agency representative together. Report a new notice right away.
02
Keep papers and original electronic records. Identify possible recordings or witnesses while the details are fresh. Do not edit, delete, or publicly circulate evidence.
03
Compare the account with the records and identify questions needing investigation. Help counsel locate information, while allowing the lawyer to manage interviews and legal requests.
04
Share disciplinary notices and deadlines separately from court papers. Confirm whether school representation is included in the engagement. A court outcome does not automatically answer every school issue.
05
Discuss eligibility, required admissions, deadlines, costs, and completion terms before accepting a program or plea. Ask what happens if a requirement cannot be met and how concerns should be raised.
06
Keep the final documents and ask about record treatment. Do not assume turning eighteen removes the record. Later applications may require careful review of the exact question and the applicable law.
Understand the Engagement
Confirm the attorney, fees, and included proceedings before hiring the firm. Discuss custody hearings and the delinquency case. Identify any adult-court, school, or later record-relief work separately.
Current custody and hearing responsibilities
Evidence preservation and investigation
Interview and statement review
Program, plea, and disposition decisions
Related school or record-relief scope
Report new notices and changes in contact details. Ask how urgent messages and confidential documents should be shared. Clear communication helps the family stay organized.
Meet the Defense Attorneys
Partner | Trial Attorney
Read Partner Mark J. Miller’s professional background. Discuss how the firm would examine the allegation, explain the process to the young person, and prepare for upcoming hearings.
Mark Miller's Professional Background
Partner | Trial Attorney
Learn about Partner Rick S. Jacobs. Ask about the defense work, communication, and court responsibilities involved in a Broward County juvenile matter.
Rick Jacobs's Professional BackgroundBefore the Consultation
Start with the latest notice, the child’s age, and a timeline. Identify missing records. Keep personal and case information for a private conversation rather than a public review or social post.
Include every page of hearing notices, release conditions, and other court orders. Note the date and time of the next required appearance or appointment.
Bring the agency name, incident number, and any assigned DJJ contact. Record who told you where the child was being taken and when that conversation occurred.
Keep school discipline notices, meeting requests, and response dates. Explain any problem with attendance or staying in touch that may affect the child's ability to follow current rules.
Write the sequence in plain language. Distinguish what the family knows firsthand from information relayed by others. Include concerns or difficult facts instead of leaving them for counsel to discover later.
List possible recordings, messages, and witnesses. Preserve original material already lawfully held. Do not contact people in a way that violates an order or interferes with the investigation.
Tell your lawyer privately about transportation, school, supervision, and ways to stay in touch. Bring any written rules. These facts help build a plan the child and family can follow.
Questions Families Often Ask
The answers below explain common starting points. The child’s age, allegation, orders, and procedural stage determine the advice for the actual case.
A detention hearing concerns custody and release while the case proceeds. It is not the final hearing on whether the alleged act was proved. Tell counsel promptly if the child is detained and provide any hearing information you received.
No. Florida law allows certain cases involving minors to proceed in adult court. The child’s age, alleged offense, and applicable statutory route need review. Ask counsel to address that risk early rather than assume juvenile court is guaranteed.
Speak with a juvenile-defense lawyer before treating an interview as an informal opportunity to clear things up. Explain who wants to speak with the child and why. Do not assume parental presence is required in every interview or that absence automatically excludes a statement.
No. School discipline and a delinquency proceeding are different processes. Keep both sets of notices and deadlines. Tell the defense lawyer about any school response requested, and clarify whether separate school representation is needed.
Not automatically. Diversion depends on the allegation, history, applicable program rules, and decision-makers. Ask about eligibility and obligations before agreeing. Completion terms and any later record-relief process should be explained separately.
No. Juvenile records do not universally disappear at eighteen. Florida has different record-retention and expunction routes with conditions and exceptions. Have the actual record and disposition reviewed before relying on a clean-record assumption.
Some juvenile information is protected, but confidentiality has exceptions. Do not promise that every record will be invisible to schools, employers, agencies, or the public. Ask counsel about the specific record and proposed disclosure.
Call with the child’s location, age, allegation, and next date. Bring notices, orders, and available evidence. Parents can help organize the file, while counsel explains the young person’s rights and role in the defense.
